Razzi



VI. F. TORAZZI.

TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED IUIIE 25, I9I8.

l (I) l 5, 3 5 2 u Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

' possesses considerable mass and at the veV locity of dischargeproduces an eiiicient pro' UNFFED Silla@ TENT CFFCE;

MARIO FRANCESCO TORAZZI, 0F SANDGATE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR T0VICKERS LIMITED, 0F WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

TORPEDO.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Sept. '9, iigil.

Application filed J' une 25, 41918. Serial No. 241,833.

-escaping at the tail of the torpedo thro-ugh an ejector into whichwater is drawn from the surrounding water and ejected along with thegases., In a convenient construction embodying the invention the torpedoi-s provided with ports opening to the surrounding water and leading toa longitudinal or axial water induction tube passing 'centrally throughthe tail chamber of the torpedo andl opening at the rear end, towardwhich the said chamber tapers. ln side this water tube and supportedvcentrally so. as to lea-vean annular water' channel is' an innertubecontainmg a self combu-stlble composition that can be ignited at ortoward the rear end of lthe' tube, which terminates near the end of theouter Water tube and forms with the end of the water tube the aforesaidejector. i

On launching the topedo, the combustible substance is ignited at-therear and burns steadily at a predetermined rate throughout thejtube, thegases` as they arel ejected draw- -ing with them and ejecting acontinuous annular stream of water entering through the water admissionports and flo-wing through the annular water space in the outer tube.The ejected combined gas-.and liquid stream pulsive eEort, driving thetorpedo at high speed through the water. The constant stream of watersurrounding the central fire tube keeps the rlatter cool.

n order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into edect I will describe the same more fully with reference tothe accompanying draw! ings, in which Figure lisa longitudinal sectionof a torpedo provided w-ith the improved propulsion apparatus 5 both ofthe chambers a or a2.

l Fig. 2 is a detail section to a larger scale of an ignition device;and s Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the portv member through which thewater is introduced into the water induction tube.

A is a torpedo body comprising the usual buoyancy chamber a, war head aand tail chamber a2, the latter in this case forming also a buoyancychamber. Depth and steering mechanism can be provided in eitheror B isthe water induction tube extending axially through. the tail chamber andslightly tapering toward the tail of the torpedo. C is the combustiblecharge tube extending throughfthe greater part of the length of thewater tube B. D

' construction illustrated, curved so as to lead the water smoothly intothe forward end of the annular space. E is a iiring cap secured' on theend of the charge tube C and carry ing a striker F and primer f toignite the powder charge c in the tube C.

When the torpedo is to be launched, either from above or below thewater, the combustible charge within the tube C is fired by the strikermechanism, the striker F being pulled against the pressure of its springf by means of the operating pin Gr` extending through the outer end ofthe cap E ,and provided with the eye g to which a iiringcord can beattached. The spring f is normally unenergized so that there is nodanger of the ignition of the propelling charge until a pull is exertedon the firing cord, which pull may be effected by hand, or automaticallyif the ljaws f2 carried on the outer end lof the striker F. Thecylindrical extensione of the cap'E is of4 too small diameter lto allowthe'pin C to be pulled out of the jaws f2l until the latter, togetherwith ythe striker,

are drawn back suiiiciently for the jaws to enter the enlarged portion eof the cap, when the striker is-released and springs forward under the-pressure of its 'spring against the primer f, which in its turn fires ithe main propelling charge inthe tube C.

It is necessary-that\the propelling charge should be properly ignitedbefore the end of the tube C is open to the water andthe cap E -istherefore arranged to resist a moderate amount of internal pressure dueto the combustion of the charge, but when this exceeds a certain amountthe cap is blown off and the torpedo is propelled by the gases producedby the combustion of the charge. This action is conveniently arrangedfor by providing the cap with a pair of small shearing pins e2, engagingin a groove c near the end of the tube C, the pins being pressed intothe groove by small springs e3. To make a tight joint between the capand the tube a small rubber ring e4 is provided. As soon as the pressuredue to the combustion of the charge is sufficient, the pins e2 aresheared and the cap blown off, allowing the gases yto escape freely'from the end of tube C. The charge tube C has its outer end c2chamfered internally so as to form an expanding space in which the gasesexpand as they pass into the end of the water tube B, so as to reducethe pressure of the gases at this point and to obtain the smoothestpossible action upon thev water.

When the outer end of the propelling charge is ignited and the ases aresteadily generated, they are ej ectedl through the end of the tube C andowing` to their high velocity they eject with them from the tail of thevtorpedo a stream of water drawnf(owing to the reduction of pressurecaused by the escaping gases) through the water tube B and the Wateradmission ports, which in the arrangement shown are placed about themiddle of the torpedo but may be situated at any other convenientposition provided a sufficient length of `water column is allowed for toenable the necessary acceleration of the water to be readily obtained.rllhe shape and proportion of the various parts should be such that themixed water and gases are ejected from the tail of the torpedo at aspeed which is not unnecessarily high, the object being to produce amaximum impulsive effort with the minimum expenditure of power so thatturbulent movement of the water at the tail of the torpedo is avoided asfar as possible.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis: y

l. In a torpedo of the jet impelled type, a container adapted to hold asolid self-combustible material and provided at the rear with a singlecentral nozzle :outlet for the impelling gases and an external ejectornozzle concentric with the said outlet and forming an annular waterdirecting channel through which a column of water is drawn and ejectedwith the central stream of gases on combustion of thesaidself-combustible material, and normally unenergized striking mechanismby which the said material is ignited on launchin the torpedo.

2. In a torpedo oI the jet impelled type, an axial tube open at its rearend and adapted to contain a solid self combustible material, anexternal water tube concentric with the first named tube, andsurrounding it throughout its length and means for admitting theexternal water to the annular channel between the two tubes, which format their rear ends an ejector through which the water and the gasesgenerated from the combustible material escape at the tail of thetorpedo, and normally unenergized striking mechanism by which the saidma terial is ignited on launching the torpedo.

3. In a torpedo of the jet impelled type, a chamber adapted to contain asolid selfcombustible material, an ejector by which water and gasesgenerated from the combustion of the material can escape at the tail ofthe torpedo, a cap normally closing the end of the said container andprovided with a striker for-ignition of the combustible material, and ashearingpin connection for securing the said cap on the container'sothat it is blown off the end of the container when the internal pressureexceeds a predetermined amount.

4. In a torpedo of the jet impelled type, a container adapted to containa solid selfcombustible material, an ejector associated with thecontainer, by means of which water and gases generated from thecombustion of the material may escape at the tail of the torpedo, a capnormally closing the end of the container, a shearing pin devicesecuring the cap on the container and adapted to yield on the internalpressure exceeding a predetermlned amount, a spring operated strikercarried by the cap, engaging jaws adapted to grip the said striker, aconnection from the jaws by which the striker may be drawn back againstthe force of' its spring, and a chamber within which the jaws slide ingripping position until they are drawn back to a predetermined point,

the chamber having an enlargement per' mitting the jaws to open at theend of the predetermined travel.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

MARIO FRANCESCO TORAZZI.

